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People Are Calling This Student Racist After She Posts Photos Of Her Prom Dress Online

Keziah Daum is an 18-year-old girl who recently received a lot of hate online for her dress. Many people were not happy about Keziah’s choice to wear a stunning Chinese qipao to her high school prom. Things got really bad on April 22nd when she posted a picture of herself in the dress on Twitter. People started calling her dress a form of ‘cultural appropriation’ and ‘casual racism’. Others defended Keziah, saying that her dress is about people sharing their cultures and traditions, and bullying and an 18-year-old girl just because of her dress is not a form of justice.

Cultural appropriation is defined as “the act of taking or using things from a culture that is not your own, especially without showing that you understand or respect this culture.” It is always a divisive subject, with elements of power, inequality and colonialism playing a part. When does appreciation of another culture’s traditions become appropriation? The line is a thin one and is heavily dependent on perspective, which is why cases like this always provoke such heated debate.

While Keziah was apparently not aware of the historical background to the dress when she bought it at a vintage store in Salt Lake City, there appears to be no disrespect on her part. “I simply found a beautiful, modest gown and chose to wear it,” she told the South China Morning Post. “I am sorry if anyone was offended. That was never my intention. I am grateful I was able to wear such a beautiful dress.”

What may have been in bad taste was, however, the photo of Keziah and her friends in a stereotypical, hands-together-bowing pose. This gesture has been used to mock Chinese people and culture over the years, and doing it, knowingly or not (they were apparently copying a pose from an H3H3 meme) may have contributed largely to perceptions of her cultural insensitivity and the negative reactions she has received.

Keziah appears to have the support of many Chinese social media users however. “Culture has no borders,” one Weibo user wrote. “There is no problem, as long as there is no malice or deliberate maligning. Chinese cultural treasures are worth spreading all over the world.”

“It is not cultural theft,” another person commented. “It is cultural appreciation and cultural respect.”

Despite receiving a massive backlash online, Keziah decided to stand up for herself by declaring that she did not disrespect Chinese culture in any shape or form. She also said that she would not delete the post or pictures. “To everyone who says I’m ignorant, I fully understand everyone’s concerns and views on my dress. I mean no harm.”

Scroll down to see how it all turned out, and comment what you think about the whole situation. Should Keziah been more sensitive and understanding about the history and cultural importance of her dress? Or was she right to believe that a beautiful dress is simply that, something beautiful for all to enjoy? Join the discussion!

Yep. It's just that they are miserable cry babies, who are unhappy with every single goddamn thing! I'm not a patriot, but if someone wore traditional Bulgarian folk costume on a prom, I would find it to be a lucky chance and quite interesting, but not the slightest bit insulting, I might even be happy that someone promotes my country's traditions!

Well said (written). I like to ask the people yammering about cultural appropriation if they use/eat/wear (X). Because they're "culturally appropriating" it. It used to be we cared about multiculturalism, sharing culture. Now? Good grief.

I'm sure 1,000 people have said this already, but a cheongsam is a Western-influenced dress. It was worn by 20th century women who wanted a Westernized (or fitted versus draped) style of Eastern clothing. This is a very simplified explanation of the history of the dress (I studied and taught fashion history and so I could go on much longer!) but the dress this young woman is wearing doesn't have a very rich or long history in China. There are many other things in the world to get angrier about.

I suspect that some people are just spoiling for a fight. It's disturbing that more of them don't spend more time focussing on genuine issues of disparity of culture and race, such as indigenous disadvantage and fair treatment of refugees.

This is an Excellent way to separate the Progressive wackos from the 'Normal' folks. They are so emotionally outraged about......you name it, that using logic is just not possible. I'm so glad she stood up and gave them the verbal finger.

If these whiners actually sat down and thought about it... "traditional", wearing one's historically cultural clothing ONLY from their race or culture, at a prom would leave, some folks with a choice of ... um, well, Google it...

Maybe this is just my opinion but that dress is a part of American culture, now. Chinese people began immigrating in large numbers to the US in the 1800s. Like every other group of immigrants that came here, they brought their culture with them. And like every other group we adopted some of their culture. We are only 200 years old. Combined culture is our culture. We've adopted food, music, clothes, etiquette, architecture and more from every country that has settled here.

RaroaRaroa, YES! Exactly! And she even explains that she wore it because she appreciates/ embraces all cultures. What do they want? Her DISrespecting their culture? Sometimes you can't do anything right in some people's eyes.

I am an Asian born of Chinese ancestry. I have no problems with the girl wearing the qipao. Your opinion of it being considered an American culture now is probably taking it too far. You can adopt things, but that Qipao design is traditional. And no country can settle in another country. Maybe citizens or ex-citizens of a country but definitely not THE country.

It will become part of their culture eventually. For example, in India, Mughal cusisine which was introduced in the 14th-15th century is now part of our culture. Similarly, in the 5th century, Indian martial arts influenced the development of the Shaolin style of Kung Fu.
The point is, take the good things out of every culture and add it to you own, thats hiw cultures evolve.

First you complain people don't integrate with other cultures, then you complain it is not appropriate when they do anything with other cultures.Ethan klein comment is 100 % on point. Maybe jeremy lam should not wear western clothes that is culturally "inappropriate". Baseball cap culture is NOT his goddamn twitter profile.
Shit, i got sucked into unnecessary boredpanda drama.

Yep. It's just that they are miserable cry babies, who are unhappy with every single goddamn thing! I'm not a patriot, but if someone wore traditional Bulgarian folk costume on a prom, I would find it to be a lucky chance and quite interesting, but not the slightest bit insulting, I might even be happy that someone promotes my country's traditions!

Well said (written). I like to ask the people yammering about cultural appropriation if they use/eat/wear (X). Because they're "culturally appropriating" it. It used to be we cared about multiculturalism, sharing culture. Now? Good grief.

I'm sure 1,000 people have said this already, but a cheongsam is a Western-influenced dress. It was worn by 20th century women who wanted a Westernized (or fitted versus draped) style of Eastern clothing. This is a very simplified explanation of the history of the dress (I studied and taught fashion history and so I could go on much longer!) but the dress this young woman is wearing doesn't have a very rich or long history in China. There are many other things in the world to get angrier about.

I suspect that some people are just spoiling for a fight. It's disturbing that more of them don't spend more time focussing on genuine issues of disparity of culture and race, such as indigenous disadvantage and fair treatment of refugees.

This is an Excellent way to separate the Progressive wackos from the 'Normal' folks. They are so emotionally outraged about......you name it, that using logic is just not possible. I'm so glad she stood up and gave them the verbal finger.

If these whiners actually sat down and thought about it... "traditional", wearing one's historically cultural clothing ONLY from their race or culture, at a prom would leave, some folks with a choice of ... um, well, Google it...

Maybe this is just my opinion but that dress is a part of American culture, now. Chinese people began immigrating in large numbers to the US in the 1800s. Like every other group of immigrants that came here, they brought their culture with them. And like every other group we adopted some of their culture. We are only 200 years old. Combined culture is our culture. We've adopted food, music, clothes, etiquette, architecture and more from every country that has settled here.

RaroaRaroa, YES! Exactly! And she even explains that she wore it because she appreciates/ embraces all cultures. What do they want? Her DISrespecting their culture? Sometimes you can't do anything right in some people's eyes.

I am an Asian born of Chinese ancestry. I have no problems with the girl wearing the qipao. Your opinion of it being considered an American culture now is probably taking it too far. You can adopt things, but that Qipao design is traditional. And no country can settle in another country. Maybe citizens or ex-citizens of a country but definitely not THE country.

It will become part of their culture eventually. For example, in India, Mughal cusisine which was introduced in the 14th-15th century is now part of our culture. Similarly, in the 5th century, Indian martial arts influenced the development of the Shaolin style of Kung Fu.
The point is, take the good things out of every culture and add it to you own, thats hiw cultures evolve.

First you complain people don't integrate with other cultures, then you complain it is not appropriate when they do anything with other cultures.Ethan klein comment is 100 % on point. Maybe jeremy lam should not wear western clothes that is culturally "inappropriate". Baseball cap culture is NOT his goddamn twitter profile.
Shit, i got sucked into unnecessary boredpanda drama.